Centrifugal separating apparatus



Feb. 8, 1927.

.H. J. HCLFORD \CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' F I I I I eb 1927 H. J. HOLFORD CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING APPARATUS 2- Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 9, 1925 Patented Feb. 8, 1927'.

HASTINGS Jenn I-IOLFORD, or Annrscor-ann, ENG-LAND, ASSIGNOR or wo-Tramps {so PERCY ronTwAY HARVEY, or manner, ENGLAND.

cnnrnrrneen serenarrne nrrenarus.

Application filed September 9, 1925, Seria1 No.- 55,2'(2, and in skeet Britain ene s, 1.925. d

This invention relates to centrifugal separating apparatus for various purposes but more especially intended for dealing with crude or impure oils (petroleum or vegetable) of various densities for the object of removing solid or liquid impurities, and we shall describe the apparatus as applied to the treatment of oils. The chief object of v the invention is to facilitate the eflicient .sep-

aration of the ingredients of the liquids and in the case of liquids containingsolid impurities to provide for a suitable method of collecting the said solid, impurities in the apparatus. 'A further object is to allow the interior ofthe apparatus to be readily reached and the parts separated for removal of any accumulation of material separated from the liquid.

, According to this invention the rotating bowl, to which the oil to be treated is fed, is provided with a number of vertical tangent plates mounted in a cylindrical group between top and bottom rings or discs, above the said group of discs belng preferably titted a deflecting plate or plates directing thefsepara-ted ingredients into separate discharge apertures. The tangent'plates are preferably secured alternately to the top and the bottom discs or rings to permit of separation of the plates in two groups which i are normally interleaved. In centrifugal apparatus for dealing with impure o ls frequent cleansing is necessary and the ready separation of the plates greatly facilitates the cleansing operation. For-lighter oils the plates are numerous and closely spaced while for heavier oils fewer plates are employed. If waxy matter such paraffin wax forms part of the crude. oils or mixtures t he plates may serve to collect the solid material and may be'oi' greater length than in apparatus employed for purely liquid mixtures. The plates are mounted to form tangentsto a circle CODCGIItllO w1th the bowl and the oilenters between the ada'acent inner edges of the plates and flows through the radially expanding chambers formed by the plates, which are provided with rearwardlyc'lirected lips at their outer edge, I Above the plates, the upper edges of which are cut to form a cone, are placed a series of spaced conical deflecting plates or discs between and over which the oil passes upwardly to the discharge or discharges, m lhe conical plates serve to intercept light solid particles or impurities which are found i to be carried over by the liquid and would.

otherwise be discharged with it; The verti-' cal tangent plates are also cut away at the bottom to form a central conical space into ettect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to'the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section ofthe upper part of the separating apparatus, the lo-wer port-ion containing the driving mechanism, not shown as this forms no part o'f'the' present invention. I Figures 2"and 3 tical section and a sectional plan of the .0911- tral supply tube, which is shown integral :r 1 Y with tne base of the bowl, v

"Figures 4 and 5 are views showing the construction of bowl; e Y

Figures 6"and 7 are views showing the arrangementof tangent plates; and

Figures 8 and 9 "are, respectively,- a section and a plates.

A is theupper portion of the base'or main frame of the machine. '13 is the re plan of the conical deflecting are, respectively, aver- 1 with conical top I mounted on the-base b. is a hopper through which the oil or other liquid is supplied under the conitrol of the valve or cock'c and strainer 0'."

"The valve 0 is'provide d with anoperafting handle c at the top of the'hopper. D, D" are covers forming the upper casing of the apparatus; on the top (Z is a cylindrical neck '(Z carrying the hopper C. E, E are the vertical tangent plates mounted between the top and bottom rings 6, 6 and nearly F are the conical deflecting plates or discs is a vertical driving shaft extending from the driving gear in the lower partbfthe fillingthe lower part of the bowl B. F,

above the plates E. G is a vertical distr'ibut- 1-ng tube for the liquid to be treated.

apparatus, not shown, into the lower pa-rt g of the tubeG and engaging with the" said tube which int-he construction shown is madein onepiece with the base Z) of the bowl. I r

A small space is left between the peripheryjo'f theigroup, of plates E, E and the inner surface of the bowl B and the upper.

edges of the plates E are cut at an angle to form a somewhat flat cone as shown in Figures 1 and 6, while the lower edges extend downwardly in'win'g' form below the ring 6 and the inner edges of the extended portions are cut at an angle to provide a central conicalrecess e Alternate plates are seplates is fitted the series of spaced conical bent back as shown in Figure 7. V mainlng interleaved set, of plates is secured cured to the peripheral bottomring e which spaces them apart and the outer edges e are The ie to the top ring. 6 and merely rests at the bottom in notchesin' the ring 6 while the first mentioned set has its upper end retained innotchesin the ring 6. Above the comcal upperface of the sa1d group of deflecting fplates F, F, thecone angle being i the same as that of the said upper face, and

the oilpasses upwardly from the top edge of'the vertical plate group E past an in ternal flange b on the bowl'and betweenthe successive deflecting plates F, 'F to the discharges 6 Z2 arranged at different levels in the upper reduced end of the bowl cover or top b. ,The discharge openings at different ulevels'servefor liquid of different densities,

' which pass into the annular channels formed by the succession of casing covers D, D proflvidedfwith outlet channels (P, d for the different liquids discharged, two covers and joutlets being shown in the example illustrated.

. Ithas been found in dealing with crude oils and other impure substances that light solid partlcles or impurlties are carried out wardly by the liquid passing to the periphfiery ofthe bowl B "through the group of,

, plates E with the result that the liquid discharged through the apertures b carries objectionable impurities if these are not in' tercepted. It has further been found'that such impurities are intercepted by causing the liquid prior to its final discharge to pass between a succession of plates such as F,

F, the impurities carried mechanically with the liquid accumulating under the conical deflecting plates'F whichlie above the separating plate F, the accumulated impurities being removed at intervals when cleaning out; the apparatus. The conical deflecting plates F therefore play a material part in improving the resulting separated product. The oil is supplied to the centrifugal bowl B from the hopper C or other container at a regulated rate through a vertical .inlet pipe d which enters. the vertical tube G passing through the central space of the group of verticalplates E, the vertical tube G terminating in a central conical projection 6 on the base Z) of the bowl. The tube G is cut with a number, say four, of vertical slots 9 having chamfered edges 9 the slots terminating in the upper end of the conical base member 6 and a sleeve 6 carried by the vertical platesE through the rings 6, e"encircles the tube G and has conical end 6 extending over the top of the cone 6 and leaving a space for the escape of the oil into the bowl, the oil being clownwardly directed over the surface-of the base 5 of the bowl and rising'up, betweenthe vertical tangent plates E. The ring a forms a seat for the perforated flanged end of the tube f belonging to the bottom conical defleeting plate F so thatthe platesF, F are' mounted in a readily removable manner on the sleeve; The plates F, F are spaced apart-by the r bs 7 and the upper'plates F have perforated inner flanges f through which the liquid passes. H I

The bowl is of any convenientconstruc- ,tion' but a suitablearrange'ment is to fit the bowl body at its lower edge onto a rubber ring b lying between the outer flange of the.

base I) and a small internal flange 6 The outer casing of the apparatus comprises the casing covers D, .1) already referred "to, fitted to the base A into which the lower part of the bowl extends. structed so as to separate and allow of ready access to the interior of the'apparatus. The

liquids of different densities rise in the bowl it through the vertical tangent plates, I the heavier ingredient being driven outwardly All theparts are coninto the space between the periphery'of the said platesand the wall of the bowl, while e and thence to the upper discharge.

Liquid mixtures, emulsions or suspensions of more than two ingredients of different densities .can be dealt with by providing the requisite number of discharge openings and employingv the conical plates to effect intermediate separations. V V

In separating finely divided solids from liquids it isfound that the solids instead of being thrown out to the periphery of the bowl tend to cling to the inner portions of r the plates towards the base of the bowl. This is particularly important in separating waxy ingredients from oils'containing them.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is I 1. In centrifugal apparatus, a rotatable .bowl into which the liquid to be treated-is fed, a set of vertical plates forming a cylinbowl into which the the upper drical group within the said bowl and rotating with it, the upper edges of the said plates sloping to form a conical group face, a plurality of conical deflecting plates fitted in 7 parallel formation above the conical face of the group of vertical plates and members spacing the said conical plates apart.

2. In centrifugal apparatus, a rotatable liquidfto be treated is fed, a series of vertical plates forming a cylindrical group within and rotating with the bowl and annular securing members at top and bottom of the said group of plates, alternate plates being secured respectively to and the lower annular members whereby the plates may be separated on opening the apparatus into two groups which are normally interleaved.

3. In centrifugal apparatus, a rotatable bowl into which the liquid to be separated is fed, a group of vertical plates within the bowl and rotating with it, and a succession of transverse deflecting plates fitted in parallel formation above the said group of vertical plates and membersspacing the said transverse deflecting plates apart.

4. In centrifugal apparatus, a rotatable bowl into which fed and a series of spaced vertical plates the liquid to be treated is within the said bowl forming a cylindrical group within and rotating which plat-es are cut away at the bottom to form a free central space into which tween the said plates which centralspace is with the bowl,

the 7 liquid is fed before passing outwardly be-' open to the spaces between the .vertical plates to provide for direct outward flow of liquid from the said central space.

5. In centrifugal apparatus, a rotatable bowl into which the liquid fed, the base of the said bowl having aconical boss, a slotted vertical distributing tube terminating in the said conical boss and having the vertical slots of the tube extending through a part of the said boss one edge of each of the said vertical slots being chamfered in the direction of rotation, and a sleeve titted around the said distributing tube and terminating at diately above the lower endof the slots so as to direct the oil passing through the slots over the base of the bowl.

nasrmes JOHN noLFoRn.

to be treated is.

the said conical'boss imme 

